Bottles, especially plastic bottles, are often transported by neck guides to and from various points on conveyor lines. This is an effective way in which to transport bottles; however, during transport, the bottles may swing from the neck guides and attempt to enter conveyor system components such as filling or rinsing stations and the like, in non-aligned positions. If the bottles are not properly aligned upon entering such a station, they may not be properly cleaned or filled, may be damaged and/or may themselves jam or damage conveying equipment. This problem is exacerbated at high conveying speeds and by conveyor stations which require bottles to be metered or spaced apart in a single file prior to entering the station since space between successive bottles permits them to swing more easily.
One example of such a bottle conveying system is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,643 to Hamrick. The Hamrick device employs two parallel conveying V-belts which contact and support the bottle by the narrow neck region below the threads. Bottles transferred by the Hamrick device remain free to swing side to side and front to back along the conveying line about the support point. This freedom of motion is undesirable because it can cause the above mentioned problems.
Another example is U.S. Pat. no. 4,802,571 to Born which discloses two parallel conveying belts which contact and support each bottle by the underside of a collar around the neck of the bottle. The Born device includes rail bars (60) which limit side to side bottle movement, however, bottles are still free to move front to back.
What is desired, therefore, is a bottle conveyor system which supports and transports bottles by the neck region and which limits side to side and front to back movement of the bottles to retain them in a position aligned for proper transfer to conveying stations for rinsing, filling or the like.